1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable showering devices, and, more particularly, to portable shower stall.
2. Description of the Related Art
Camping, hunting and other outdoor activities continue to be among today's most popular leisure activities. The people who enjoy these activities possess a variety of devices that are intended to provide many of the conveniences that they have become accustomed to at home. Portable stoves, inflatable mattresses, and even portable generators that make available a variety of appliances are among the devices commonly found at campsites across the nation.
Many campgrounds are equipped with plumbing at centrally located community bathhouses so that people can obtain water for drinking and cooking purposes. However, in situations where people are camping in the truest sense of the term, i.e., out in the wilderness, or where a campground is not equipped with plumbing, they are forced to carry their own supply of water.
In these situations, many people make use of portable, solar heated shower devices in which a clear bag, filled with water and having a shower nozzle attached thereto, is suspended from a tree or other overhanging object.
This type of device usually includes a curtain that surrounds the user, forming a shower stall, allowing him or her to bathe privately therein.
In the previous art, numerous devices are disclosed to assist in outdoor showering. U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,116, issued in the name of Hulsey describes a collapsible shower stall inside the camper.
Several patents describe collapsible, portable, and lightweight shower stalls. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,369, issued in the name of Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,992 issued in the name of Patterson et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,363 issued in the name of Troiano, U.S. Pat. No. D 339,860 issued in the name of Hildebrand, U.S. Pat. No. D 323,208 issued in the name of Guinther and U.S. Pat. No. D 244,135 issued in the name of Banks U.S. Pat. No. 1,960,969 issued in the name of Duncan discloses a collapsible shower curtain bracket and attachment for the stall.
U.S. Pat. No. D 385,618 issued in the name of Weinacker, describes the ornamental design of a portable shower head.
While these devices may be effective in providing a means by which to bathe where there is no modern plumbing, they do suffer from one or more of the following drawbacks. First, the devices are often burdensome, inconvenient and even dangerous to secure to the overhanging structure, such as a tree. Second, a tree with a sufficiently sturdy and configured branches may not be near the camp site, thus necessitating long walks from the camp site to shower. Third, the device is difficult to quickly pack and unpack. Fourth, the device cannot be easily stored in a small volume when not in use. Fifth, the device is difficult to assemble.
Accordingly, there is a need for a solid, structurally stable showering apparatus for providing a means by which one can bathe in a safe, convenient, manner in situations where there are no modern showering apparatuses and where there are no overhanging structures to utilize.
Many, if not most, campers drive vehicles such as pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles or automobiles that are equipped with a standard receiver hitch, consisting of a square channel into which a variety of different ball-type or other hitch attachments can be inserted and secured.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above by utilizing a standard trailer receiving hitch to secure and support the showering device.